PSAT and National Merit FAQ

It is set by Selection Index, not total score. For the Class of 2027, Semifinalist cutoffs ranged from 208 (Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming) to 223 (District of Columbia and New Jersey), and the national Commended cutoff was 208. In total-score terms, a 1400 with strong Reading & Writing can qualify in low-cutoff states, while high-cutoff states need roughly 1480–1500 with Reading & Writing near 740+. Check the state cutoff table.

208. It is national (the same in every state) and was down from 210 for the Class of 2026. Roughly 34,000 students who score at or above it but below their state's Semifinalist cutoff become Commended Students.

The October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT Reading & Writing section scaled harder than the October 2024 test, which had produced record highs. NMSC names about the same number of Semifinalists every year, so when scores fall across the board the cutoffs fall with them. The average state dropped 3.2 points; Alaska fell 7 and Rhode Island 6.

NMSC allocates about 16,000 Semifinalist slots to states in proportion to each state's share of graduating seniors, then sets each state's cutoff to produce that many students. States with more high scorers per graduate (New Jersey, DC, Massachusetts, Maryland) end up with higher cutoffs. Your score is compared only to other students in your state.

Equal qualifies. A Selection Index exactly at your state's cutoff makes you a Semifinalist.

Unknown until September 2027. Each state's five-year range on the cutoff page is the best guide; a score at the top of the range has cleared the bar every year since 2023. A 224 has been safe in every state every year except the Class of 2026 peak (225 in MA, NJ and DC).

(Reading & Writing × 2 + Math) ÷ 10, using the 160–760 section scores. Range 48–228. Example: 720 RW and 730 Math = (1440 + 730) ÷ 10 = 217. Use the calculator.

A 1400 is about the 97th–98th percentile. Whether it reaches National Merit depends on the split and the state: 720 RW / 680 M is a 212 (Semifinalist in Kansas, Nebraska, South Carolina and lower-cutoff states for the Class of 2027); 680 RW / 720 M is a 208 (Commended nationally, Semifinalist only in the 208 states).

On your PSAT/NMSQT score report in your College Board account, under "National Merit Scholarship Corporation Selection Index." It also shows whether you met the entry requirements.

Commended Students score at or above the national cutoff (208 for the Class of 2027) but below their state's Semifinalist cutoff. They receive a Letter of Commendation and can qualify for some corporate Special Scholarships, but do not advance. Semifinalists meet their state cutoff, are roughly the top 1% in the state, and may apply to become Finalists and compete for scholarships.

Submit the Semifinalist application by early October of senior year: essay, transcript, activities, principal's recommendation and endorsement, and a confirming SAT or ACT score sent to NMSC. About 95% of Semifinalists (roughly 15,000) become Finalists in February. Details on the process page.

Schools are notified in early September of senior year and the public announcement follows about a week later; the Class of 2027 announcement was September 9, 2026. Commended Students are notified through schools in late September. Finalists are named in February and scholarship winners from March through July.

NMSC gives the lists to news media and high school principals, not the public. We host the official state PDFs we have collected and link newspaper lists for others on the 2027 Semifinalist lists page.

Request Alternate Entry. Your principal or counselor submits the request to NMSC; the deadline is April 1 following the October test. You then take the SAT by the specified date and NMSC converts it to a Selection Index equivalent. Alternate Entry is also the route for homeschooled students whose local school did not administer the PSAT.

No. Only the October PSAT/NMSQT of junior year (third year of high school) counts, and there is one administration per year. Sophomore-year scores are practice only.

No. PSAT scores go to you, your school and NMSC. Colleges only learn of your National Merit standing if you report it or if NMSC notifies a sponsor college you named as first choice.

Slightly easier. Same sections, question types and adaptive design; the PSAT tops out at 1520 instead of 1600 and includes fewer of the hardest math topics. Time per question is about the same.

The state where you were enrolled when you took the test in October. Boarding-school students use the state where the school is located; U.S. students at schools abroad use the "studying abroad" cutoff (223 for the Class of 2027).

If a practice Selection Index is within about 15 points of your state's five-year high, structured prep often closes the gap; Reading & Writing counts double, so that is where the return is. See programs with National Merit track records and the free official resources.

20+ points from the cutoff: 6–9 months. 10–20 points: 3–6 months. Within 10: 6–10 weeks of timed full-length practice with careful review. Use Bluebook practice tests, which are adaptive like the real exam.